Mayors of Turku and Dijon Lead the Charge: Translating the EU Green Deal into Local Action

The mayors of RESPONSE’s Lighthouse cities, Turku and Dijon, attended the ‘Translating the EU Green Deal into Local Action’ conference on March 15.
 

The Flanders government and the Belgian EU presidency organized this crucial discussion, aiming to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent. Like other EU Mayors, François Rebsamen and Minna Arve emphasize the importance of embedding the local level in the heart of the Green Deal, as it has the power to mobilize citizens.

Learn more about the  Declaration by European and Regional leaders, signed by 550 Mayors and Regional leaders from across Europe, which was presented to Alexander de Croo, Belgian Prime Minister, on March 15.

 

The European Green Deal

Climate change and environmental degradation pose an existential threat to Europe and the world. To address these challenges, the European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy, ensuring:

  • No net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050
  • Economic growth decoupled from resource use
  • No person and no place is left behind

The European Commission has adopted a set of proposals to make the EU’s climate, energy, transport, and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. More information on Delivering the European Green Deal.

Measuring the digitalisation of electricity distribution systems in Europe: Towards the smart grid

Authors Contributions:

Nestor Rodriguez-Perez, Javier Matanza, Gregorio Lopez, Rafael Cossent, Jose Pablo Chaves Avila, Carlos Mateo, Tomas Gomez San Roman, Miguel Angel Sanchez Fornie

Abstract:

This paper proposes a set of digitalisation indicators focused on measuring the different digital capabilities and infrastructure of electricity distribution systems, as opposed to previous indicators which have mainly focused on performance and quality of service aspects.

The indicators are classified according to the pillars of digitalisation: sensor and actuator, connectivity, data processing, and digital culture. They are use-case-agnostic and do not require a huge amount of information. In addition to this, three possible new applications of these indicators for distribution system operators and regulatory authorities are identified and discussed.

The extensive use of these indicators in Europe could allow the development of fruitful collaborations between distribution system operators, allow the identification of cause–effect relations between grid performance and digital infrastructure, and improve the replicability of innovative smart grid solutions. However, this will only be possible if regulators promote the adoption of the proposed indicators and the dissemination of their results.

The Solution for the First Social Hackathon is Now Ready

Solutions from residents to residents – RESPONSE hackathon solution reduces CO2 emissions and saves moneyby scheduling the use of household appliances


Electricity prices and energy savings have been on the minds of many people during the past years in Finland and all over Europe, but did you know that by shifting your electricity consumption you can save both the environment and money? If you’ve been wondering how much carbon dioxide emissions are caused by using electricity to run your washing machine, or how much it actually costs to heat up your sauna, it’s now easy to find out with Every day demand response calculator.

The Everyday Demand Response Calculator is a web-based application that allows you to easily check when to use different household appliances to minimise the emissions and electricity costs of your electricity use. The app provides the user with information on the cost of electricity use and the amount of CO2 emissions from the appliance, as well as a visual representation of the optimal time to use the appliance, when it will produce the lowest emissions (gCO2) and the lowest electricity bill increase for electricity customers (€).

Solutions from residents to residents

The concept of the Everyday Demand Response Calculator was developed by Enutime Oy who won the “Energy Made Easy for People” hackathon in April 2023, organised as part of the RESPONSE project. The  competition, organised by the City of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences, aimed to find new innovative digital solutions that would encourage people to pay attention to their own energy consumption and change their consumption habits.


The Everyday Demand Response Calculator can be found at www.joustolaskuri.fi.

Everyday Demand Response Calculator